Castilleja occidentalis
Castilleja wightii
western Indian paintbrush, western or western yellow paintbrush, western paintbrush
Wight's Indian paintbrush, Wight's paintbrush
several to many, erect or ascending, usually short-decumbent at base, unbranched, sometimes glabrous proximally, hairs spreading, long, soft, mixed with medium length to short stipitate-glandular ones only in inflorescence.
few to many, ascending to erect, much-branched, usually with prominent leafy axillary shoots, hairs spreading, long, soft, mixed with shorter, stipitate-glandular ones.
green to deep purple, linear-lanceolate to broadly lanceolate (to linear on sterile shoots), 1.5–4(–5.5) cm, not fleshy, margins plane, flat, prominently veined, 0–3(–5)-lobed, apex acute to rounded;
lobes ascending, lanceolate, apex acute.
green-tinged or ± purple, sometimes yellow-green tinged, densely crowded, linear, lanceolate, oblong, elliptic, or ovate, 1–7 cm, thickened, not usually fleshy, margins plane to wavy, involute or flat, 0–3(–5)-lobed, apex broadly rounded to obtuse or acute;
lobes spreading-ascending, linear, narrowly lanceolate, triangular, or rounded, apex acute, obtuse, or rounded.
2–7(–10) × 1–3.5 cm;
bracts greenish to pale greenish yellow throughout, often aging dull reddish brown or reddish purple proximally, rarely dull reddish brown throughout, or proximally green, dull reddish brown, or reddish purple, distally greenish white, yellow, or cream, broadly lanceolate to widely oblong to ovate, 0–3(–7)-lobed;
lobes ascending, triangular to lanceolate, medium length, usually arising at or above mid length, rarely just below, central lobe apex obtuse to rounded, others acute.
3–22 × 1.5–3.5 cm;
bracts proximally green to deep purple, rarely light tan, distally red, scarlet, rose, red-orange, or yellow, sometimes orange, dull brownish orange, pale pinkish tan, yellow aging white, yellow aging pink, red with pink apices, magenta, or white, sometimes with a yellow to deep purple medial band, lanceolate, oblong, or narrowly ovate, (0–)3–5(–7+)-lobed, distal margins of central lobe and sometimes also side lobes with multiple shallow teeth, proximal often wavy-margined;
lobes erect or ascending, linear to lanceolate or oblanceolate, short, arising in distal 2/3, apex obtuse to acute, central lobe often rounded to truncate.
0 mm or nearly so.
straight, 16–25 mm;
tube 9–15 mm;
teeth and part of abaxial lip sometimes exserted, beak exserted;
beak adaxially green, (2.5–)5–9 mm;
abaxial lip green, reduced, often visible through abaxial cleft, slightly pouched, 1.5–3 mm, 25–50% as long as beak;
teeth incurved to ascending, white, sometimes green, 0.7–2 mm.
slightly curved proximally, 20–30 mm;
tube 10–12 mm;
distal portion of beak exserted, abaxial lip included;
beak adaxially green to yellow, 11.5–18 mm;
abaxial lip deep green, sometimes to very deep purple, reduced, included, usually not visible through front cleft, 1–2 mm, 15–25% as long as beak;
teeth erect, green to sometimes pink, 0.5–1.5 mm.
proximally green to purple, distally colored as bracts, 12–20 mm;
abaxial and adaxial clefts 5–9(–10) mm, 40–50% of calyx length, deeper than laterals, lateral 1–3(–4.5) mm, 5–20% of calyx length;
lobes lanceolate to triangular, apex acute, obtuse, or rounded.
colored as bracts, 15–28 mm;
abaxial and adaxial clefts 8–11 mm, 33–50% of calyx length, deeper than laterals, lateral 2–5.5 mm, 5–30% of calyx length;
lobes lanceolate to oblong to broadly triangular, apex acute, obtuse, or rounded.
= 24, 48.
= 24, 48.
Castilleja occidentalis
Castilleja wightii
Castilleja occidentalis has a wide distribution in the southern Rocky Mountains, a gap in its distribution in Wyoming, and reappears in Montana and the Canadian Rockies. Bract lobing and color vary considerably but without correlation to geography. Although C. occidentalis resembles an alpine form of C. septentrionalis, C. occidentalis is missing in several regions in the distribution of the latter, even when extensive areas of suitable habitat are available, and has a discrete range.
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
Castilleja wightii is found along or near the central and northern coast of California. Historical collections of C. wightii from Curry County, Oregon, are referable to other species, but it should be sought in the area. Reports from the south-central coast of California are referable to other species, particularly C. affinis. Castilleja wightii appears to intergrade with C. latifolia and perhaps C. affinis south of San Francisco. Despite much attention from botanists, the perennial paintbrushes along the coast between Monterey and San Francisco can be perplexing and difficult to identify. This situation is likely the result of introgression, but this complex is in need of meticulous genetic and morphological analysis. North of San Francisco, C. wightii is straightforward to recognize, with its abundantly stipitate-glandular stems and leaves. In addition, the leaves are often crowded on the stems, which bear axillary shoots. Most populations have either red or yellow bracts, with only occasional individual plants of the other color. Yellow populations are found primarily in Marin and southern Sonoma counties southward and are gradually replaced by red populations from northern Sonoma County northward. Mixed color populations occur in a few places, especially in San Mateo County.
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
BC
PNW Herbaria
SW CO Wildflowers
WildflowerSearch
iNaturalist
USDA Plants Database
CA
